The Jaguars, along with the rest of the NFL, must cut their roster from 90 players down to 53 by 4 pm EST on Saturday. As soon as Tom Coughlin and company decide on the 53-man roster, they'll begin focusing on building their 10-man practice squad. Here's who I think will make the practice squad for the Big Cats. Alex McGough If I were in Tom Coughlin and Dave Caldwell's shoes, McGough would be on the Jaguars' 53-man roster. The kid led two touchdown drives in the preseason; something second-string QB Gardner Minshew couldn't do even once. His athleticism and arm talent are among the best I've ever seen. But I think the Jaguars' front office will be stubborn with their QB room. They'll risk letting another team poach McGough. Andrew Wingard The rookie from Wyoming has flashed time and time again throughout the preseason, but with the depth the Jaguars have in the defensive back room, and on special teams, the Jaguars will try to stash the playmaking strong safety on their practice squad. Saivion Smith The rookie from Alabama led the Crimson Tide in interceptions last season. He has the type of size the Jaguars covet at the cornerback position. But Smith didn't get a ton of opportunities throughout the preseason. Jacksonville is loaded with cornerback depth, so they'll keep him around on the practice squad to develop. Quenton Meeks Perhaps the biggest surprise in terms of someone not making the 53-man roster, Quenton Meeks had a disappointing summer, to say the least. He got outplayed by nearly every other defensive back for the Jags. Perhaps a year on the practice squad can get Meeks back to a good place on the football field. Tae Hayes
The 5'9'' cornerback had a highly productive training camp and preseason. But his size and inexperience make him a tough keep for the Jaguars. They'll try to keep him around for further development. CJ Board CJ Board had a great preseason but was noticeably quiet in the finale against the Falcons. Board has strong hands and speed to burn. The Jaguars will be happy to keep him in the system. Joe Giles-Harris Giles-Harris made a strong push for the active roster. In my most recent roster prediction, I had Giles-Harris making the team, but in the end, DJ Alexander will beat him out. Alexander has more experience and is a special teams ace. KC McDermott The Jaguars like the young interior offensive lineman from Miami. They'll keep him around in an attempt to continue to develop a player who may be rosterable in the coming seasons. Charles Jones Had Jones not missed time with a minor injury, he might have made the 53-man roster at tight end. But Ben Koyack edges him out here. Koyack has valuable experience, blocking ability, and strong hands. Joshua Moon The undrafted rookie safety from Georgia Southern has ideal size. He played reasonably well throughout the preseason, even in limited reps. Moon could become a Jarrod Wilson type developmental player for the Jaguars moving forward. Follow Jordan on Twitter for all the latest Jaguars news and analysis. |
